How to Lead in Product Management: Practices to Align Stakeholders, Guide Development Teams, and Create Value Together

by Roman Pichler

There are four conversation techniques that are particularly helpful when negotiating (Voss 2016):70 Mirroring and positive reinforcement: Repeat the exact same words in a warm and accepting voice, no matter if you agree with what was said or not. This provides you with three benefits: First, it ensures that you heard correctly what Sophie said. Second, it plays the message back to the sender and allows her to reflect on it. Third, it shows that you take an interest in what Sophie has to say and builds rapport. Labelling: Listen for the other person’s emotions and call them out. You might say, for example, “You sound concerned. Is that right?” or “I sense that you are upset.” You thereby acknowledge the individual’s emotions and show that you understand and take an interest in how she or he feels. This builds trust and encourages the other person to reflect on how she or he is feeling. Open-ended questions: Ask open-ended questions to uncover the other person’s needs, as suggested before. Say, for example, “Please help me understand how this would be beneficial.” Similar to labelling, this shows that you are interested in understanding Sophie, and it builds rapport. Patience: Be patient and take the time to attentively listen to the individual. Don’t interrupt the other person and don’t try to rush the conversation. Otherwise, it will be hard to understand Sophie’s underlying needs and motives. If you don’t have time to listen to her, then thank her for raising the request...